Apple executives Scott Forstall, Phil Schiller and Greg Joswiak answered a series of questions from reporters about the iPhone 3.0 platform, providing some additional information outside of that presented in the prepared comments.

Copy and paste priority

When asked by a reporter from Time why Apple took so long to deliver "obvious" copy and paste features, Forstall replied that it wasn't that easy, and that security issues needed to be resolved with copying information between applications.

Unlike most other smartphones' operating systems, the iPhone offers real security between applications managed by the operating system, rather than implicitly trusting whatever software a user might load from any source.

Flash panned, again

Asked about support for Adobe Flash, "video is still a blackhole if you visit a website with Flash," Apple said it has no announcements on that front, instead deflecting attention to the fact that the phone supports H.264 video streams, and adds new support for HDTV streaming for audio and video.

Video playback is the main use of Flash on the web outside of animating advertisements. However, a variety of major sites that use Flash for video on the web, including YouTube, CBS Mobile, and the BBC, now push standard H.264 video to the iPhone directly.

Tethering

When asked about tethering, the use of the iPhone as a gateway for sharing its mobile connection with a notebook computer, Forstall answered that the issue involves two parts, working with the mobile carriers and building the technical support into the iPhone client itself. "We’re absolutely supporting tethering in the client side in iPhone 3.0," Forstall said, "but we’re working with carriers around the world to see when they can add tethering support on their networks. But we are building that support into iPhone 3.0."

Peer-to-Peer and Bluetooth

The new Bonjour-enabled discovery of other devices will use Bluetooth exclusively, Apple said. That will enable the discovery service, used to allow gamers to participate in multiplayer titles for example, to work without disconnecting from WiFi internet, without needing any configuration, and without requiring mobile network access.

When asked if developers could send out audio files over Bluetooth, to trade files, say music files, through iPods, the group remained stumped for a moment before Forstall answered, "I think probably not -- you couldn't move the file."

"We have the ability to stream music to music apps, and certainly a game, if a game has music in the game it would be possible to download game tracks, but if would be confusing for other music apps with downloadable music that isn’t through the app store."

The new Bonjour-enabled discovery of other devices will use Bluetooth exclusively, Apple said. That will enable the discovery service, used to allow gamers to participate in multiplayer titles for example, to work without disconnecting from WiFi internet

Nice, but why bluetooth exclusively? Why wouldn't Bonjour work over Wi-Fi? Will we be able to print (directly) without having to have a bluetooth access point?

In my humble opinion anyways the update delivers a lot of what I was looking for. Right now it is hard to say if it will deliver everything I want because 3.0 is HUGE! Really; this is one huge update.

From the standpoint of development I need to find out more about several things that I was hoping for. The support for hardware is interesting but I need to know exactly what that means, does it turn the USB port into a master, enable access to the serial connection or allow for Bluetooth profiles that support serial interfaces. What more is being done with Bluetooth in general. It is going to take awile to digest aol the APIs. hopefully I will have this downloaded tomorrow.

While everybody is excited about copy & paste, I think more people will get better use out of landscape mode. I'm also glad they aren't ignoring the stocks app, as that is really useful. It looks like this is a two pronged update in that user land is getting a big improvements right along with the developer space.

Additional charges for MMS, MMS only works on 3G network, networks need to add support for tethering? WTF is this guy talking about... I have a 2 year old phone that could do all of this on 3G or EDGE and it's an AT&T phone (A707)...

I see a couple of wanted updates but I am not paying more money to use MMS on my Iphone when I used it almost daily on my old phone on the same network and wtf am I supposed to do when I can't get 3G signal because I'm 10ft out of range of their sparse 3G network?

networks need to add support for tethering? WTF is this guy talking about... I have a 2 year old phone that could do all of this on 3G or EDGE and it's an AT&T phone (A707)...

Exactly.

I've been doing this for YEARS via bluetooh to my Macs with my Sony Ericsson P810 and P910 phones connected to T-Mobile's flat fee GPRS service. (I don't have a 3G phone yet, but the main requirement will be out of the box tethering)

It does look pretty huge this update, indeed.... But one of the things that doesn't look very clear to me is that "capped" bluetooth that iPhone has got a the moment.... (unable to share photos between friends, etc...,through bluetooth, as you can do between any other phone....). Have they said anything about it??

Still quite impressed with the update, and looking forward to it... Unfortunately I have got the iPhone 2G, so a few things won't work, but hopefully we can buy a new updated iPhone 3G in 2009 too..... hehehehe.

I've followed AppleInsider for years, and I know that it's pretty Anti-Adobe / Anti-Flash, and I'm always amazed at how that bias gets in the way of accurate reporting. The exact quote, not reported in this article, is "We have no announcements on that topic today". If they wanted to "pan Flash" they'd say something like "We have no intentions of including Flash on the iPhone". Instead, if anything, the coy nature of the comments validate the rumors. I know there are a lot of people out there who would like to never see Flash on the iPhone, and that's fair enough as a user opinion, but the facts, straight up are, Steve Jobs way back when said "Maybe" to Flash on the iPhone (with some caveats), Apple has said nothing on the subject since, and Adobe has said "we're working on it"... Today's announcement was not news (or an announcement)... it was simply a "no comment" ... anything else is pure opinion and should be reported as such.

It's kind of a joke, really. They obviously want to give providers the chance to charge a surplus for tethering, which I don't really get. I already pay for data transfer, the provider shouldn't really care what device I'm using it with. Right now, I can pop my SIM card out of my iPhone and put it into my Nokia Communicator e90 and use that tethered to my MacBook Air without any hassle (other than switching the phone). So I'm already using my iPhone's contract for tethered use of the bandwidth I'm paying for. The *only* problem right now, for me, is that the iPhone doesn't _technically_ offer such a mode.

It's kind of a joke, really. [...] I already pay for data transfer, the provider shouldn't really care what device I'm using it with. Right now, I can pop my SIM card out of my iPhone and put it into my Nokia Communicator e90 and use that tethered to my MacBook Air without any hassle (other than switching the phone).

You might feel like you're paying for transfers via a tethered laptop, but the provider does care because a tethered laptop can far out-distance the transfers possible from the iPhone interface (or from just the iPhone alone). I doubt the terms of service even allow tethering, but you probably know that.

Furthermore, at least many months ago when I tried using the iPhone SIM in an Expresscard 3G modem, the modem wouldn't work until I called AT&T to upgrade to their more expensive "Laptop Connect" package. Perhaps it isn't necessary with the e90, but I don't plan on buying an e90 to find out it really doesn't work or doesn't work reliably.

I can agree that this might obviously be a problem in the US. We don't have such restrictions here in Switzerland. We have others. I have a limit of 1 GB of data throughput per month. But that's more than enough for all my E-Mail stuff and visiting a couple of websites per day plus IM'ing.

But that one gigabyte is paid for, whether I use it on the iPhone or through my notebook. The contract doesn't care whether I use it with my Nokia or my iPhone. As I've said: The only thing holding me back is the iPhone not having such a mode for networking.

Apple is so totally clicking on all cylinders with iPhone/iPod touch that I view today's preview as a "block the kick" announcement.

What's a block the kick? It is an effort to do such a good job of persuading your core constituency (in this case, developers, consumers, carriers) that any perceived momentum of the competition (read: Android, Palm Pre) pales in comparison to your own that you block the competition's nascent momentum in its infancy.

Apple is just running up the score, lest the competition find its footing with developers, something I blogged about in:

I've been doing this for YEARS via bluetooh to my Macs with my Sony Ericsson P810 and P910 phones connected to T-Mobile's flat fee GPRS service. (I don't have a 3G phone yet, but the main requirement will be out of the box tethering)

I've been enjoying tethering using PDA Net and a jailbroken iPhone. It's really simple to do, though obviously not out of the box ready.

Additional charges for MMS, MMS only works on 3G network, networks need to add support for tethering? WTF is this guy talking about... I have a 2 year old phone that could do all of this on 3G or EDGE and it's an AT&T phone (A707)...

I see a couple of wanted updates but I am not paying more money to use MMS on my Iphone when I used it almost daily on my old phone on the same network and wtf am I supposed to do when I can't get 3G signal because I'm 10ft out of range of their sparse 3G network?

Big Fail.

I think that you are full of it.

Anybody that thinks that these services are free are truly ignorant.

And, no phone manufacturer can just unilaterally offer a cell phone that is capable of tethering without the agreement from the carrier. I suspect that one of Apple's mandates refers back to their negotiations with all the carriers to get their original data plan costs down, and one of their objectives is to do likewise for the messaging services.

I would suspect that Apple knows a hell of a lot more than you do. And every comment you make suggests that it wouldn't be difficult to do so.

From AT&T.PDA/BLACKBERRY PLANS WITH TETHERING
PDA/BlackBerry plans with Tethering may ONLY be used with AT&T-certified RIM BlackBerry devices and PDAs for the following purposes: (i) Internet browsing; (ii) email; and (iii) intranet access (including access to corporate intranets, email, and individual productivity applications like customer relationship management, sales force, and field service automation). PDA/BlackBerry plans with Tethering may be used to tether such PDA and BlackBerry devices to a Personal Computer. If you are on a data plan that does not include a monthly megabyte allowance and additional data usage rates, the parties agree that AT&T has the right to impose additional charges if you use more than 5 GB in a month. Prior to the imposition of any additional charges, AT&T shall provide you with notice and you shall have the right to terminate your service.

Is there any more info on Bluetooth?! Will it finally support a bluetooth keyboard?

According to the Q&A on engadget, the answer is NO. There has to be a reason why Apple insists that keyboards are not allowed on the iPhone. Here's my analysis: This would turn the iPhone into a netbook, for all practical purposes, and we know that Apple has ordered large quantities of 10-inch screens for a new product to be announced this late summer. This can only be a netbook of some sort. If iPhone users could use a cheap $75 or so foldable keyboard (like Berry, WM and S60 users) they wouldn't buy a more expensive netbook.

Also, the real reason why Apple does not want to see flash is that people could watch tv and movies for free on Hulu.com, like Windows Mobile users can, with the Skyfire browser, etc. I suspect that Apple wants to monetize those shows through iTunes.

Still, OS 3.0 is an interesting upgrade. It makes the iPhone almost as powerful as the free phones which have had these capabilities for years.

"We have the ability to stream music to music apps, and certainly a game, if a game has music in the game it would be possible to download game tracks, but if would be confusing for other music apps with downloadable music that isnt through the app store."

Sure, confusing... Jesus Apple love to lock down basic functions to tow their own products.

They did not implement cut and paste before because of security?. What about security on the desktop?. I can cut and paste from almost any app into any other app. Apple trusted me on my desktop but they cannot trust me on my mobile platform?. Hahahahahahaha. Good one Apple. Yeah, I believe Steve Jobs lost a bet somewhere.. I wonder when he's gonna lost the flash bet.. most important.. wonder who won the cut and paste bet and how much they won?. Who would dare make a bet with the chief that leaving out cut and paste would seem so silly that years after the iphone is introduced, people would still be talking about it. Wow, i guess every other phone out there is 1. Either insecure cause they had cut and paste and by apple definition, that is insecure or 2. Implemented cut and past in a secure fashion, thereby proving that they are all smarter than people working on apple. Here's what i think should happen.. Reporters stop asking Apple embarrassing questions like "how come this obvious feature was left out" and apple stop insulting our intelligence.

They did not implement cut and paste before because of security?. What about security on the desktop?. I can cut and paste from almost any app into any other app. Apple trusted me on my desktop but they cannot trust me on my mobile platform?. Hahahahahahaha. Good one Apple. Yeah, I believe Steve Jobs lost a bet somewhere.. I wonder when he's gonna lost the flash bet.. most important.. wonder who won the cut and paste bet and how much they won?. Who would dare make a bet with the chief that leaving out cut and paste would seem so silly that years after the iphone is introduced, people would still be talking about it. Wow, i guess every other phone out there is 1. Either insecure cause they had cut and paste and by apple definition, that is insecure or 2. Implemented cut and past in a secure fashion, thereby proving that they are all smarter than people working on apple. Here's what i think should happen.. Reporters stop asking Apple embarrassing questions like "how come this obvious feature was left out" and apple stop insulting our intelligence.

No... It's not that Apple doesn't trust YOU, it doesn't trust (and rightly so) other applications that may have access to the clipboard.

The way Apple has chosen to implement this is better for you, the user, and worse for Mallory, the malicious app developer. Clearly you've never worked in any industry remotely connected with security in some manner.

Also, I'm sure he didn't make a bet about flash.. he chose to make a statement (and a correct one in the eyes of most web developers, and consumers) that the useful lifespan of flash is near an end. The rationale for such a statement are clear if you've got a clue.

They did not implement cut and paste before because of security?. What about security on the desktop?. I can cut and paste from almost any app into any other app. Apple trusted me on my desktop but they cannot trust me on my mobile platform?. Hahahahahahaha. Good one Apple. Yeah, I believe Steve Jobs lost a bet somewhere.. I wonder when he's gonna lost the flash bet.. most important.. wonder who won the cut and paste bet and how much they won?. Who would dare make a bet with the chief that leaving out cut and paste would seem so silly that years after the iphone is introduced, people would still be talking about it. Wow, i guess every other phone out there is 1. Either insecure cause they had cut and paste and by apple definition, that is insecure or 2. Implemented cut and past in a secure fashion, thereby proving that they are all smarter than people working on apple. Here's what i think should happen.. Reporters stop asking Apple embarrassing questions like "how come this obvious feature was left out" and apple stop insulting our intelligence.

You're really full of it. Most GSM phones allow you to tether independent of the network. Nokia, for instance has been doing this for many years. You're really just speaking a load of crap.

If you had understood anything about GSM at all, you'd realise that phones and networks are completely independent. I can buy any phone with any features and use it on any compatible network. What carriers state in their T&Cs has no bearing on the technical reality.

They did not implement cut and paste before because of security?. What about security on the desktop?. I can cut and paste from almost any app into any other app. Apple trusted me on my desktop but they cannot trust me on my mobile platform?. Hahahahahahaha. Good one Apple. Yeah, I believe Steve Jobs lost a bet somewhere.. I wonder when he's gonna lost the flash bet.. most important.. wonder who won the cut and paste bet and how much they won?. Who would dare make a bet with the chief that leaving out cut and paste would seem so silly that years after the iphone is introduced, people would still be talking about it. Wow, i guess every other phone out there is 1. Either insecure cause they had cut and paste and by apple definition, that is insecure or 2. Implemented cut and past in a secure fashion, thereby proving that they are all smarter than people working on apple. Here's what i think should happen.. Reporters stop asking Apple embarrassing questions like "how come this obvious feature was left out" and apple stop insulting our intelligence.

ummm...maybe because security is a real concern with CnP. There have been numerous holes in Windows implementation of CnP. The last one I remember was one where any website could read whatever you currently had in your clipboard without you actually pasting it. So, yes, some other phones out there, may just have security holes in their CnP implementation. Your snarky, yet woefully uninformed comments just come off as childish whining.

CnP involves memory that all apps will have access to. Any decent development team had better pay detailed attention to security concerns with system wide accessible memory.

"My 8th grade math teacher once said: "You can't help it if you're dumb, you are born that way. But stupid is self inflicted."" -Hiro.

No... It's not that Apple doesn't trust YOU, it doesn't trust (and rightly so) other applications that may have access to the clipboard.

The way Apple has chosen to implement this is better for you, the user, and worse for Mallory, the malicious app developer. Clearly you've never worked in any industry remotely connected with security in some manner.

Also, I'm sure he didn't make a bet about flash.. he chose to make a statement (and a correct one in the eyes of most web developers, and consumers) that the useful lifespan of flash is near an end. The rationale for such a statement are clear if you've got a clue.

The security issue is bull. You don't reveal what's in the clipboard unless the user explicitly pastes into your application. What's the issue? And what's really so important in the clipboard? The nuclear launch codes? Apple are just trying to cover up the fact that they have taken forever to implement basic functionality. I suppose the lack of Bluetooth support is also a security issue. And MMS was delayed due to a security issue. What a joke.

As for Flash, it's pretty bad, but suggesting it's at the end of it's useful life is just idiotic. It's widely used, for better or for worse. There are many interactive features that require it and have no practical substitute (and no, JavaScript is not a substitute). By that logic Windows, the C language and pretty much 90% of code used today is nearing the end of its useful life.

The point is that the iPhone is not exactly overpowered, it has a very tight power budget and it gets away with displaying video efficiently by using hardware decoding, in specific, standard encodings. Flash video is not one of them. Flash is very inefficient in any number of ways and the way people use it is very inefficient. The bottom line is it will run down the battery or be unusuably slow on the iPhone. Apple are very touchy about their battery specs.

And, no phone manufacturer can just unilaterally offer a cell phone that is capable of tethering without the agreement from the carrier. I suspect that one of Apple's mandates refers back to their negotiations with all the carriers to get their original data plan costs down, and one of their objectives is to do likewise for the messaging services.

I would suspect that Apple knows a hell of a lot more than you do. And every comment you make suggests that it wouldn't be difficult to do so.

From AT&T.PDA/BLACKBERRY PLANS WITH TETHERING
PDA/BlackBerry plans with Tethering may ONLY be used with AT&T-certified RIM BlackBerry devices and PDAs for the following purposes: (i) Internet browsing; (ii) email; and (iii) intranet access (including access to corporate intranets, email, and individual productivity applications like customer relationship management, sales force, and field service automation). PDA/BlackBerry plans with Tethering may be used to tether such PDA and BlackBerry devices to a Personal Computer. If you are on a data plan that does not include a monthly megabyte allowance and additional data usage rates, the parties agree that AT&T has the right to impose additional charges if you use more than 5 GB in a month. Prior to the imposition of any additional charges, AT&T shall provide you with notice and you shall have the right to terminate your service.

Full of what? How can I be full of something when I've actually done it... That's like telling Neil Armstrong that he is full of it after he says he has been in space.

The funny thing is I didn't even claim they shouldn't be charging for tethering...I laughed at the fact that they need to add 'support' for it when it obviously already works. As far as MMS... considering the amount of money I am paying for this Iphone plan is well beyond what I was paying with my cheaper phone (that had more abilities) I wouldn't say I am getting anything for free here.

MMS was unlimited per my 'unlimited messenging plan' which I paid extra for in the past... since I got the 'unlimited messenging plan' with my Iphone as well I would assume I was covered..of course I will be upset if I have to pay even more... I am paying more right now for messenging and it's beyond 'basic' compared to my old plan. What is the Iphone offering me that makes MMS or even plain messenging 'better'?

You see all of this as 'something for nothing' when in reality my bill has increased (almost doubled) and my benefits are having a touchscreen phone that can't do half of what a cheap flip phone is capable of. You're right I shouldn't feel insulted or ripped off at all.

Also did you read that quote you posted?? It pertains to PDA/Blackberry plans... (aka business plans where they want to rape the company/employee for extra money that a normal consumer would never cough up). Google Samsung Sync Tethering and you will find it to be a fact, very easy to do and works with 3G. Unless you burn through GBs of data your chances of even getting charged are nil.

Also (as stated) I had MMS support on both Edge and 3G networks with my AT&T plan and I didn't pay anything extra.

This is simple really... I HAVE done these things as many others have done and the Iphone plans are starting to get out of hand... it's already close to 100.00 a month for the features we have now... phones that are more capable are coming out and the other carriers plans are looking pretty good (considering some even offer unlimited everything plans for much less than my limited Iphone plan).

You enjoy pissing your money away... I sure don't. Maybe that's why I've never been a fan of riding the apple train in the past? Of course I think AT&T is really screwing the pooch on this as well. Our contacts were only for 2 years guys (AT&T/Apple) I think it's a bit early to be biting the hand that feeds.

It is really a bit of both. The phone manufacturers absolutely can enable tethering without any input form the carriers. period. However, the phone companies all want to have their phones sold through the carriers. This gives the carriers clout, where if they do not want to allow tethering, they could demand the manufacturers remove the feature.

"My 8th grade math teacher once said: "You can't help it if you're dumb, you are born that way. But stupid is self inflicted."" -Hiro.

I don't have time to search all day...quick google searches turn up tons of results.. I am lost as to why anyone is blind to all of this? It's not a new technology and blackberry didn't come up with it.

Additional charges for MMS, MMS only works on 3G network, networks need to add support for tethering? WTF is this guy talking about... I have a 2 year old phone that could do all of this on 3G or EDGE and it's an AT&T phone (A707)...

I see a couple of wanted updates but I am not paying more money to use MMS on my Iphone when I used it almost daily on my old phone on the same network and wtf am I supposed to do when I can't get 3G signal because I'm 10ft out of range of their sparse 3G network?

Big Fail.

It is just business speak for allowing the carriers time to develop a plan to monetize the feature. There is nothing technically preventing the feature from working on these networks. It is simply that when Apple adds support for tethering in the OS, some of the carriers will whine that they are somehow losing money.

This of course is BS. Data is data. Sure a laptop can utilize more data than the iPhone can in a shorter period of time. This is irrelevant. You have paid to use the data. Anyone who argues that the carriers should charge more has simply swallowed their kool-aid. For instance, I pay for a 6GB data plan. I don't come close to using this. Generally, I have used between .2 and 2 gigs in any given month. Should my carrier refund me for the unused portion? If I tether and use more, but still stay within my 6GB limit, why should the carrier be able to say who I can use my data?

"My 8th grade math teacher once said: "You can't help it if you're dumb, you are born that way. But stupid is self inflicted."" -Hiro.

What is it with you guys? Was the Iphone the first phone you have owned? Are we 18 at least??

SGH-A707
....
BB 8700g

I don't have time to search all day...quick google searches turn up tons of results.. I am lost as to why anyone is blind to all of this? It's not a new technology and blackberry didn't come up with it.

Bravo for providing a big list.

Sadly no context.

Are these all phones I can get with a carrier subsidy with tethering turned on? Or would I need to buy them full manufacturer price and then attach them to a carrier?

What carrier could I then use them on? What restrictions would I have?

Finally, what are the usage terms for this feature in the US among the major networks? Does ATT Spring and Verizon allow tethering for free, or are people doing this ninja style?

Answering those questions would be useful.

A list of phones that supposedly allow you to tether without context is not.

BTW it's possible if not likely that in some countries outside the US that carriers are more liberal with tethering plans, but sadly it won't benefit me as I do not live in those countries. No disrespect to said countries.

Are these all phones I can get with a carrier subsidy with tethering turned on? Or would I need to buy them full manufacturer price and then attach them to a carrier?

What carrier could I then use them on? What restrictions would I have?

Finally, what are the usage terms for this feature in the US among the major networks? Does ATT Spring and Verizon allow tethering for free, or are people doing this ninja style?

Answering those questions would be useful.

A list of phones that supposedly allow you to tether without context is not.

BTW it's possible if not likely that in some countries outside the US that carriers are more liberal with tethering plans, but sadly it won't benefit me as I do not live in those countries. No disrespect to said countries.

I can't speak for all of the phones on the list (they were all ones listed with tethering ability) but the SGH-A707 was purchased directly from AT&T and came with the support fully functional.. all that was required was a download of 'samsung tools' and the USB data cable. As I said...I never said I expected tethering to be free, they could charge for it and there would be no complaint on my end. The issue I had was that several phones already support it and it works so what 'needs' to be put in place to make it work with the Iphone that doesn't already exist?

If I told you that you needed 100 Octane Unleaded fuel in order for your car to exceed 65mph what would you tell me? Would you be confused? Would you look at all of the other cars that can exceed 65mph and wonder why your car is so 'special' that it needs to be different?

I would... that's all I am doing here... only difference is Apple is saying something special is needed for the Iphone to do tethering and when I look around I see other phones already doing tethering and wonder why? What makes the Iphone so 'special'?

Speaking of tethering, has anyone with the beta checked if it is in there yet? If so, how well does it work, how easy it is to configure and how quickly does it drain the battery?

depending on 'how' the tethering is initiated it shouldn't have much of an impact on the battery... on the phones I've mentioned it's been done with the data (USB) cable plugged in so the phone has power from the device you're tethering with. If done via bluetooth or wireless (which I don't know if that is even an option) then you would have battery life to worry about.

Any word in this mess of news on using the Iphone as a storage device? I would love to use the thing like the Ipod and store files on it in a flash drive like fashion.

I can't speak for all of the phones on the list (they were all ones listed with tethering ability) but the SGH-A707 was purchased directly from AT&T and came with the support fully functional.. ...What makes the Iphone so 'special'?

I was aware that plenty of phones allowed this feature, otherwise why would there be any discussion of the feature missing from the iPhone. I was not aware that such phones were sold directly from US carriers with the feature already enabled.

Is this something ATT has no problems with? You are allowed to hook the data from your phone to your laptop on ATT network with no extra fees, no strings attached, no limitations?

By the way it's possible to do the same thing on the iPhone, you just need to jailbreak in order to do so. So there's no technical reason why the iPhone can't do it, there's some other reason why this feature is not enabled, but I'm not aware what that reason is if ATT allows this feature on other phones without restrictions.

Any word in this mess of news on using the Iphone as a storage device? I would love to use the thing like the Ipod and store files on it in a flash drive like fashion.

This might not answer your question but there are programs on the App store that allow you to transfer and use files on your iPhone from a computer in a local WIFI LAN. If it's a supported file type you can view it right on your iPhone.

I was aware that plenty of phones allowed this feature, otherwise why would there be any discussion of the feature missing from the iPhone. I was not aware that such phones were sold directly from US carriers with the feature already enabled.

Is this something ATT has no problems with? You are allowed to hook the data from your phone to your laptop on ATT network with no extra fees, no strings attached, no limitations?

By the way it's possible to do the same thing on the iPhone, you just need to jailbreak in order to do so. So there's no technical reason why the iPhone can't do it, there's some other reason why this feature is not enabled, but I'm not aware what that reason is if ATT allows this feature on other phones without restrictions.

I don't spend much time reading EULAs in depth for services I have at home (though at work I find myself reading them for hours regarding software) I have not seen anything that barred me from using the tethering.. .I did use it for over 2 years when would lose our connection at work and I needed to get online to work with a customer (was doing tech support at the time). I would just tether the phone and run terminal services sessions, download small files, putty sessions, etc, etc... never saw anything pop up on the bill but didn't eat through a ton of bandwidth either. There could be some verbage in the EULA that stated I was in the wrong here but it never came up. (if anyone knows for sure please speak up).

I have seen the Jailbreak list of features (and there is a ton) which once again makes me wonder about the comment I poked fun at. I suppose that it's possible this has all been a hush hush issue until they started adding millions of devices to the network.